modern art as an investment

[Firefly]

i've noted that the price of modern art has skyrocketed over the last few years.  i never really thought of the art market as being so dynamic, but apparently at the upper end, fortunes are made and lost.  the change in the price of modern art (measured somehow -- don't know the details on this) has outpaced the s&p 500 significantly over the last couple of years.  interesting that most of the purchases that drive these numbers are simply conspicuous consumption.  perhaps its just additional evidence that the rich are getting richer.

[Maximus]

It's not exactly where I'd put my money, but people do make a living by trading art.  I agree that it does seem an odd type of currency.

[MotherEarth]

Is modern art decided by the content of the painting or
by how the artist is perceived?  Huge monochromatic
paintings are lovely to look at but talent doesn't seem
to play a part in their creation. 

For those who want to know....could you give a
few artist's names for reference?